adjective HSK 4
strange · unfamiliar · unknown
Meaning
陌生 describes something or someone that is unfamiliar or unknown to you. It conveys a sense of being a stranger to something, whether it's a person you've never met, a place you've never visited, or a situation you're not familiar with.
Usage
Commonly used to describe unfamiliar people, places, environments, or concepts. Often appears in the phrase 陌生人 (stranger) and 陌生的地方 (unfamiliar place). Native speakers use it to express lack of familiarity rather than something bizarre or odd.
Examples
- 01我刚到这个城市，对周围的一切都很陌生。, .I just arrived in this city, and everything around me feels very unfamiliar.
- 02不要跟陌生人说话。.Don't talk to strangers.
Characters
Common collocations
- 陌生人stranger
- 陌生的环境unfamiliar environment
- 感到陌生to feel unfamiliar/strange
- 对...感到陌生...to feel unfamiliar with...
Antonyms
Origin
陌 originally referred to paths between fields where one might encounter strangers, while 生 means 'raw' or 'unfamiliar.' Together they form a compound meaning 'unfamiliar' or 'strange.'